Scaffold bracket



Sept. 7, 1926. 1,599,209 9 W. E. CASHMAN SCAFFOLD' BRACKET Filed June 6. 1923 Patented Sept;19

WILLIAM EARL c tsmvmnor Application filed. June ,6,

- This invention relates to any improyed ,scalfoldfl'ack ro'r (bracket 11 01 holding ,planks or boards in horizontal position against ,a roof or side wall to provide "a staging for 5 workmen and :their tools and implements.

- The primary object of the inventionis to provide a sc'alfo'ld-jack l or :bracket which can be folded into ,smallrcompasswhereby it is easily portable; and one whichtmay be adjusted for useon lroofs otdifierent pitch 1 or against afvertical. sidewall. a 14A particular. object of the improvement is'to provide ajack or bracket which ma-y be :securely lockedfin its adjusted relation; so :that :when the scaffold is supported thereon there will :be no danger :of the Ebracket collapsingJ A if d An important -feature ofzthe improvement consists in providing a ,locking-means for, "thetjack or bracket .whiclreannQt beaaccidentally released should the bracket. or any of its partsbe struck by a board, plank or other object, A o v The invention is described in, its preferred e1nbodiment in the following specification, illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in vwhich like reference characters-designate like parts'." "In the draw'ingszf Y Fig; 1 is a perspective View showing my '30 improved jack or bracket appliedto-use in supportinga scalloldion a-pitched roof;

Fig. 2, a side-elevatiomotthe improved bracket;

Fig. 3, a detailed View or the :footAof-the. I bracket, illustrating the improved" locking means insection on-the'iline 'S 8-of iFlg. 22; and Y ,7 I

Fig. 4a side elevation of the bracket g it folded with its parts in closed" showin relation.

Referring to the drawings, -my improved sca fiold-jack or bracket comprises essentially three foldable elements, namely, aob'asestrip"or standard 2; a:board or plank-hold; ing arm or rest 3, which is hinged atone end to the base-strip-; and a zbrace or support l extending between the base-strip :andthe arm.

Preferably, the base-strip2is constructed of -ang'le;-iron with a hat rest' portion 5 adapted -to seat a-gain'stthe roof or :the side Wall of a 'building and provided Withmn 7 gportion. be

ant ms-mew isLAnn. mncknhj' V v v I 19.23, age-a1 no, 645,635.

ii samiiiig'vrucarriae. items 'iewa nd pf the base-stripisy a'alateral foot or isiip' ,port; 7 consistingqofffla fiat strip of! metal '55 riyetted to theundergside of the'rest f) at-S,

' and arr anged at right.angles 'theretoi The ,131'016Cllng ends of the foot'iare \bent downwardly slightly, see "so gthatftliey vwillseat morezsecurely against theYiiIieVenGO V surface ofthelroof or wall to prevent rock-V ling ,mot on of the basesstrip '2. Referring 1; :to 2, xthe zup per end ofthe flat restji is o. preferably bent downwardlyfinto, the plane y of the ends of the foot mama; theunder v {side of the standard will clear "the-edges ofthe shingles' Whenvthe brapketisfn-sedon ar'oof. At thefiupper end of iterate of fthebase-strip Qare a plurality of: apertures 'llhelargergends of the ,ape'r'turesfi {,a'repreventing the release of ith-e bracket therefrom. m a -The platlormiarm orrest3 is. constructed from a strip fo'i' angle-iron; [haying'an. end

7 nt npwaiidlyat might-angles .to so adapt it to abnt .the edge or. ithe boardfor plankP, see Fig. l,xto. hold the latter from slippiiig loll" fromYthe; rest. The arm- 3 ,is

"hinged-to the base-strip QbymeanS'Ofa s'uitable boltlor=riyet 1.1, insertedthro igh .the s5 rib 6, see ,2. -,Piv'oteduto the euterlend' of the verticalfiange or rib of are arm, 3 is thebrace lfconsi-stingz simply of a fiat bar. 7 The brace lis pivotedtozthe arms by =means ofa bolt or rivet 12, andat itsllower 190 end carries a'headed pin orlstud l5. The

- stud 15'has' a reduced end,16' "inserted through a washer 17.,andriyetted through a hole at the. @lower end of the brace 4, see Fig.3. t a

In the upstanding rib 6 v of the .baseastrip 2 are a seriesof pear-shaped openings 18. -'Ehe openings =18 are enlarged; at their upper ends ,toiadapt the headol? the stud .15fxto be inserted therethrough, while their ,lo'wer100 smaller ends are proportioned to receive the body -of the stud with its head overlapping (the edgesithereof; That ,is -to1say, the head of the stud'15' may be inserted throughdzhe 2 in this manner the whole brace is sprung slightly to one side to insert the stud ithrough the opening 18; and likewise, in releasing the brace from the base plate, it 'is sprung laterally in the same dlrection. It

will be'understood thatthe several openings 18 in the'base-strip 2adapt thebraoe to be adjusted'to diiferent'positions to hold the arm or rest :3 at different inclinations. this way the arm or rest 3 may be set at the proper angle with relation to the base-- strip 2 to hold it in horizontal position to receive the board or plank P. YVhen the bracket isnsed against a vertical wall the "bracelfwill be'adjusted to fasten its end in theupper opening .18 of the series, while on theother hand, as the base-strip is inclined away' from the perpendicular, the brace is shifted to lock it in a lower position on the base-strip.

hen the jack or bracket is not' in use it may be folded for carrying or storing by releasing'the stud 15 from the opening 18 and folding thebrace 4 against the ribof the arm 3. The whole rest or arm 3 can then be folded down against the bottom part of the base-strip 2 as shown in Fig. 4.

It will be observed from the above description that my improvement provides a particularly light, compact and simple bracket or scaffold-jack which is adapted for a a wide range of uses, and which operates more conveniently and more efficiently than similar devices of thesame type heretofore used for like purposes. I am aware that it is old in theart to provide a scafiold-jack or' bracket having hinged members adapted tobe braced apart to form a rest for a staging or scaffold plank. I-Ieretofore, however, it

has never been proposed to provide such a bracket or jack with means for automatically and positively locking the brace in position so that it cannot be accidently released.

fore employed for similar purposes the arm With practically all devices heretoor rest for the plank is held or supported from a brace which may be disengaged from the standard or base-strip when the rest or arm is tilted upwardly. A careless workman'in lifting a plank, ladder or other object into place is liable to strike the end of the same against theunderside of the plankvrest so that the latter will be tilted upwardly to a greater or less extent. Such a tilting or prying up of the plank-rest will release the brace from 1ts fastenlng means and cause the whole bracket to collapse, in which event the scafiolding will fall and endanger the lives of the workmen standing on or under the stag ng. With my present improved therefore be seen that the improved lockingmeans for therbrace cannot beaccidentally disengaged or released to collapse the bracket and allow the staging to fall.

7 It has been demonstrated in practice that the present improved bracketorijack is absolutely proof against accidental release or collapse, whereas prior devices have been so open to this objection that a prejudice has arisen against them among workmen and artisans. In fact,"m0st workmen, such as carpenters, roofers and slate layers, are so prejudiced against the use ofia self-collaps a ing bracket that they prefer-to nail up their own stagingor scaffolding. It is obvious,

" however, that the construction of a staging or scaffold requires much time andlabor and therefore adds to the cost of theconstruction work, besides delaying the starting and completion of the-job. With mypresent improved bracket a scaffold or staging can beerected very expeditiously and shifted in positionfrom time to time, as occasion requires, with the expenditure of very little labor. Moreover, and most important, my improved bracket or jack provides means for supporting a staging or scaffold which is absolutely safe from the danger of collapsing or falling. It may therefore be employed for a great variety of purposes without jeopardizing the lives of the workmen using it and hence it fills a long felt want in the art to which:the device belongs.

It will be understood that I do not claim broadly the use of a folding bracket or scaffold-jack but only the improved construction herein shown embodying the selflocking arrangement and the more secure meansfor supporting the staging from the wall or roof. \Vhat I claim is: i

In a device of the type specified, the combination of a member having a relatively flat base-strip with an upstanding rib extending throughout a portion of its length and provided with a series of substantially pearshaped openings, a portion of the base-strip L l I 1,599,209 l T base-strip above the surface against which it 'largeriend bf any one of the pear-shaped rests, an arm hinged at one end to the rih openingsin the-rib on the base-strip whereby on the base-strip to adapt it to serve as a its body will seat in the smaller end of the support for a scaffold-plank, a brace pivotopening to automatically lock the brace to ed to theother end of the arm, and a headed prevent its accidental release; stud at the opposite end of the brace having In testimony whereof I affix my signature; its head adapted for insertion through the WILLIAM vEARL CASHMAN. 

